Pradeep cited the reasons as the “current JNU incident” and “longstanding difference of opinion with party on Manusmriti and Rohith Vemula incident”.

THREE OFFICE-BEARERS of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) resigned on Wednesday, citing “difference of opinion” on the “current JNU incident” among other issues. Criticising the Centre for “unleashing oppression on the student community”, they said they cannot be the “mouthpiece of such a government”.

He cited the reasons as the “current JNU incident” and “longstanding difference of opinion with party on Manusmriti and Rohith Vemula incident”.

The Facebook post said: “Anti-national slogans on February 9 in the university campus were very unfortunate and heartbreaking.

Whosoever is responsible for that act must be punished as per the law. But the way the NDA government is tackling the whole issue, the oppression on professors, repeated lawyer attacks on media and Kanhaiya Kumar in court premises is unjustifiable… We think there is a difference between interrogation and crushing ideology and branding entire Left as anti-national.”

“We can’t be the mouthpiece of such a government which has unleashed oppression on the student community, legislature (sic) like O P Sharma, government which has legitimised the action of right wing fascist forces, either in Patiala House Court or in front of JNU North Gate,” it said.

“Every day, we see people assemble at the front gate (of JNU) with the Indian flag to beat JNU students… this is hooliganism not nationalism, you can’t do anything in the name of nation, there is a difference between nationalism and hooliganism,” it said.

Narwal also spoke out against the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU). “JNUSU and some Left organisation are saying that nothing has happened in the campus, but we want to stress that veiled persons in the event… shouted slogans (like) ‘Bharat tere tukadde honge’, of which there is concrete evidence in the videos. We demand that any person responsible for the slogans should be punished as per the law… We also condemn the media trial which has culminated in anti-JNU sentiments throughout the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lalit Pandey, secretary, ABVP, JNU unit, claimed that the trio had resigned a month ago. “These three had come to us a month ago to say they had issues with the party line on the Rohith Vemula issue, and tendered their resignation. They are just bringing it up now for political reasons,” he claimed.

But Saurabh Sharma, JNUSU joint secretary from ABVP, said: “We haven’t received any resignation letter till now. These three are our new activists… who became office-bearers after the last unit conference in July-August 2015. Most of the teachers supporting JNUSU are from the School of Social Sciences, so perhaps these activists took this decision keeping their careers in mind.”